"Gods?!" I blurted out, stunned.
I couldn't believe it. Were they seriously about to take me in front of a panel of gods—to be judged? And if I didn't pass…would they just kill me? It was too much to take in, and honestly, I still wasn't even sure if I believed their story.
Mark stood up from his chair and walked over to me.
"Alright, let's go," he said, stretching his arms casually.
"Right," Aya replied with a nod.
With a sigh, I stood as well. I didn't have much of a choice. Hopefully, whatever this was wouldn't take long—I still needed to get home.
We gathered side by side. Aya to my left, Mark on my right, and me in the middle.
"So… where exactly are we going?" I asked, realizing I had no clue where these two strangers were taking me.
Aya held out her fist in front of her, and that's when I noticed the golden ring on her finger. The moment her fist extended, the ring began to glow. I stared at it, amazed, unsure what was about to happen.
In an instant, a shimmering, oval-shaped portal appeared in front of us—iridescent and floating midair. Aya grinned as if she couldn't wait to step through, while Mark stood with his arms crossed, looking as if he had done this a million times before. I, on the other hand, was floored. Any remaining doubt I had about their story vanished on the spot.
"That was so cool!" I said, turning to Aya. "Is that going to take us to the gods?"
"Yup," she said proudly. "It's a portal to Olympus—the divine realm of the gods."
Seeing that portal suddenly made everything feel real. I was still afraid—afraid of how the gods might judge me. But oddly, there was also a strange comfort in knowing that if I did die…at least it would be in a place few people had ever seen.
"Alright, let's go," Mark said, stepping through the portal without hesitation.
Aya followed with a cheerful trot. Once they were gone, I took a deep breath, trying to steel myself.
I thought about everything I'd just learned. That these two were demon hunters, that the city I'd spent my whole life in was apparently crawling with these demons, and that now, after being bitten by a cat, I had demonic energy inside me.
My fate was no longer in my hands. If the gods decided I was too dangerous to live, they probably wouldn't hesitate to kill me.
Whatever was waiting on the other side, I had no choice but to face it head on.
With that final thought, I stepped into the portal.
---
As I stepped through the portal, a wave of sweltering heat slammed into me. The air was dry, heavy with the scent of smoke, and each breath felt like inhaling sandpaper. I had to take slow, deliberate breaths just to keep from coughing.
I paused to take in my surroundings. We were standing in what looked like a massive town square—wide, open, and alive with movement. The ground beneath us was made of dark volcanic rock, cracked and uneven, radiating warmth that I could feel, even through the soles of my shoes.
Stone buildings lined the square, some looking like homes, others clearly shops marked with signs carved in rough images. One had a steaming bowl etched into it, another a sword, and another a hammer striking an anvil.
The entire town seemed forged from the same volcanic stone, giving it a rugged, battle-worn aesthetic. Despite the heat, the square buzzed with life. People moved with purpose, dressed in various forms of battle attire. Some wore full metal armor, others sported more flexible gear that still offered protection. But one thing was clear—they were all armed. Even the children walking alongside their parents carried small blades or wooden weapons.
At the center of the square stood a towering stone statue—an enormous figure of a hulking man, shirtless and muscular, holding a spear in one hand, a shield in the other, with a helmet tucked under his arm.
I approached my companions, who were standing comfortably in front of me. They didn't seem bothered by the heat at all.
"So this…is the realm…of the gods," I huffed, still struggling to breathe.
"Yup!" Aya replied cheerfully. "This is the home of my mentor. We're in Ares's domain."
"Ares? Like the Greek god Ares?" I wheezed. They'd mentioned working for gods, but I didn't think they meant the literal Greek gods.
"Each god has their own domain," Mark said, arms crossed. "I wanted to take you to my mentor—she's actually smart and would know what to do."
"Hey! My mentor is smart! So smart!" Aya interrupted, clearly offended. Her fists clenched at her sides, and she glared at Mark like he'd just insulted her personally.
"But Aya won at rock-paper-scissors," Mark continued, ignoring her protests, "so we came here instead."
"Who's…your mentor, Mark?" I asked between breaths.
Mark turned to me with a grin that was a little too wide to be normal.
"My mentor is the smart and beautiful Athena," he said, an almost lustful look in his eyes. I could've sworn I saw a blush on his face and maybe even a bit of drool at the corner of his mouth.
"With her intelligent wisdom and graceful beauty, she'd know exactly what to do with you. And she's so kind and empathetic, I bet she'd let you walk free—unlike the dumb brute Ares, who only ever thinks about war and dea—"
His rant was cut off by Aya's fist slamming into his jaw. She wore a smug grin as Mark staggered back, rubbing his face.
"Let's go before he goes on and on about his dear Athena," she said, shaking her head and walking off toward the center of the square.
I couldn't help but chuckle—but my lungs reminded me that laughing was not a good idea in this heat. I coughed, then followed behind Aya.
Mark, still rubbing his jaw, caught up to us, and the three of us continued deeper into the heart of Ares's domain.